The Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR camera carries over the EOS 40D's 14-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion process for smooth tones, and also includes enhanced noise reduction, especially at higher ISO ranges. It's also capable of shooting 6.3 frames per second (fps).
It's 15.1-megapixel CMOS APS-C size image sensor features the new gapless microlenses over each pixel to reduce noise and expand sensitivity up to ISO 12800.
The Canon EOS 50D camera provides ISO speeds from ISO 100 up to ISO 3200 in 1/3-stop increments, along with two high-speed settings - H1 and H2 - of ISO 6400 and ISO 12800, respectively.
As part of the camera's internal image processing, the Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR camera conducts peripheral illumination correction, which automatically evens brightness across the image field, making an image of a blue sky even toned throughout, a function previously accomplished through post-processing software on a personal computer.
Canon's enhanced Auto Lighting Optimizer analyzes the brightness of subjects and automatically adjusts dark images so that they appear brighter, perfect for subjects in shade or in backlit situations. The Auto Lighting Optimizer on the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera has been updated not only to optimize images while they are being taken, but can also optimize images post-capture, during playback, to help ensure the subject of each image does not appear too dark.
A significant upgrade to the Canon EOS 50D camera is its large, clear 3.0-inch Clear View LCD screen, which features 920,000 dot/VGA resolution, four times the pixel count of the EOS 40D camera's screen, for better clarity and color. The EOS 50D camera includes an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output to display crisp, clear images on a High-Definition TV.
The camera is also equipped with a viewfinder featuring 0.95x magnification and the same high-performance Autofocus (AF) system as the EOS 40D camera with nine cross-type sensors for accurate target subject acquisition with lenses possessing maximum apertures of f/5.6 or faster and a high-precision diagonal center cross-type AF point that's effective with f/2.8 and faster lenses. The AF Microadjustment feature, originally introduced last year with the Canon EOS-1D Mark III professional digital SLR camera, has also been added to the EOS 50D for maximum control over focusing precision.
It also features the Creative Full Auto setting allowing users to make adjustments before shooting while still in an Automatic mode, without needing to know the meaning of technical terms such as aperture, shutter speed, etc. In this mode, the camera menu on the back screen spells out options in common language for average photo enthusiasts, allowing them to "blur the background" or "lighten or darken the image."
The Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit for the Canon EOS 50D has also been upgraded and now includes a fluorine coating on the low-pass filter for better dust resistance. The Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit uses ultrasonic vibrations to shake dust particles off of the low-pass filter in front of the sensor each time the camera is powered up or shut down. The second part of the system includes a software component where sensor spots are mapped and saved as Dust Delete Data that is attached to the image file for removal during post processing using Canon's DPP software.
The EOS 50D is compatible with the full lineup of Canon EF lenses as well as the Company's ever-growing line of affordable EF-S lenses created specifically for Canon Digital SLRs with APS-C size image sensors. The Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR camera is scheduled for October delivery and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated selling price of $1,399.00. It will additionally be offered in a kit version with Canon's EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens at an estimated selling price of $1,599.00.
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